 |
| Fiji Anyone? |
 |
| For some reason I feel like everyone has to hear my about my lame Japan experience (all my fault). |
Our first Travel and Adventure Show turned out to be pretty perfect for us, considering the trips we have planned this year. I make some great connections with tourism representatives from places on our immediate list (Zion National Park & Maui), some old favorites (Palm Springs), and my bucket list Holy Grail (Everest Base Camp).
National and International destinations were well represented and organized well and the show was easy to navigate by region. We found that the more local the destination, the more impressive the displays; makes sense to drag all of that stuff across the US if you’re not having to fly in from around the globe. Croatia and America’s National Parks seemed to have the largest presence; both are really popular right now. Standard giants in the industry such as Australia and Italy also had many outfitters present to plan your trip. We found that the representatives weren’t willing to negotiate in-the-moment deals but seemed to be more interested in getting their literature out there, rather than pushing sales.
We were kept busy for a few good hours with swag, samples of food and wine, crazy photo ops, shows and speakers. Did I mention there was a camel to ride and the opportunity to get your scuba certification? I tried (and purchased) a mushroom elixir coffee from Finland and learned about a way to give back while grabbing great rates on stellar accommodations (Kind Traveler).
I say check it out if you have some places you are thinking about, especially if you are interested in tours. My in-laws love this mode of travel and this is a good way to talk face-to-face with some tour companies before booking. For me, it re-enforced my wanderlust for the destinations on my short list and motivated me to start the leg work for our next big adventure!
San Diego is next and then Denver, before starting back East. Check out official info here. We thank the Travel and Adventure Show for having us.
No Comments